Date of Visit: 9-25 Mar 2021
Taylor Inlet and Nanarup Beach
Taylor Inlet is a beautiful inlet just a 30-minute drive east of Albany on Nanarup Road accessible by a 2WD vehicle. Taylor Inlet opens to the Great Australian Bight through Nanarup beach and visitors can walk from the carpark to the beach with the help of a long boardwalk.
The long beautiful white sandy Nanarup Beach is a great place to stop for lunch and enjoy the cool ocean breeze. The beach is a popular 4 WD location and fishing spot.
Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve and Little Beach
A 20-minute drive from Taylor Inlet or a 40-minute drive from Albany is another beautiful beach – Little Beach in Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve that is accessible by 2WD vehicle.
With its white, sandy, and clear waters, Little Beach is a perfect spot for swimming, diving, canoeing, fishing, and beach walking.
Mount Barker
Mount Barker is a 40-minute drive north of Albany or a 1-hour drive northwest of Two People’s Bay Nature Reserve on the Albany Highway. This quiet small town has a population of just under 40,000. Mount Baker is close to Porongurup National Park and other national and regional parks, as well as the Great Southern Wine Region, and is often the gateway to these attractions.
Mount Barker Summit Lookout
A short drive from Mount Barker town centre, Mount Barker Summit Lookout is 147 m above sea level and offers great views of Mount Barker and the surrounding mountains and countryside. Visitors can see Stirling Range National Park in the northeast and Porongurup National Park in the west.
Porongurup National Park – Castle Rock and Granite Skywalk
Porongurup National Park is within which the 1200-million-year-old Porongurup Range (Porongurups), one of the oldest in the world, is located. The rocks in the national park can be over one billion years old.
The national park covers an area of just over 25 km2, and the highest point Devils Slide at 670 m above sea level.
Castle Rock and Granite Skywalk
Castle Rock and Granite Skywalk is a 20-minute drive from Mount Barker or a 40-minute drive from Albany.
Hiking up the walking trail to reach the Granite Skywalk viewing platform at the top of Castle Rock at 558 m is a walking trail that should not be missed, even though it takes a moderate level of fitness to do it.
Granite Skywalk refers to the steel viewing platform constructed around and attached to the massive granite rocks and provides panoramic views of the surrounding karri forest as well as the Stirling Range in the north, and the Southern Ocean in the south.
The uphill hike up the Castle Rock of the 4.4 km (return) walking trail is especially challenging and requires visitors to climb over rocks and a 6 m ladder before reaching the Granite Skywalk viewing platform.
Take your time to enjoy the panoramic views at the Castle Rocks to reward yourself for your hard work before descending to the start point.
How was the Granite Skywalk built? First riggers established and drilled anchor points on the granite rocks, then the stainless-steel platform was designed and fabricated. Finally, the stainless-steel platform structures were delivered by helicopters for the riggers to assemble and attach these platform structures to those anchor points. It was surely a massive engineering construction undertaking!
Click to watch a video of Castle Rocks and Granite Skywalk showing its construction and attachment to the granite rocks.
Bluff Knoll and Stirling Range National Park
At 1098 m above sea level, Bluff Knoll is the highest peak in the Stirling Range. You can drive 2WD vehicles to the Bluff Knoll parking area which is 600 m below the peak. The parking area has a picnic area, toilets, and lookouts with spectacular views of Bluff Knoll and other peaks of the Stirling Range National Park.
If you are unprepared to climb up to the top of Bluff Knoll, which is a 6.8 km return, grade 4 trail taking about 3 to 4 hours, you may have your lunch at the lookouts and enjoy the views and have a rest before heading to your next destination.
Bluff Knoll parking area is a 1-hour drive west of Mount Barker.
Bremer Bay
Bremer Bay is a 2-hour drive from Albany or a 1-hour-40-minute drive from the Bluff Knoll parking area.
Bremer Bay is a popular holiday destination well known for its beautiful beaches, whale-watching, snorkelling, fishing, and 4WD driving opportunities.
Bremer Bay town has a population of just over 1000, and during the peak holiday seasons, its population can increase significantly. Bremer Bay is located at the mouth of the Bremer River, which is also named Devil Creek, which opens to the Great Australian Bight through Bremer Beach.
Bremer Beach is a short walk from the town centre. The other beautiful beaches around Bremer Bay such as Fishery Beach, Short Beach, Little Harbour Beach, Blossoms Beach, and Native Dog Beach are all accessible with 2WD drive vehicles and are within a short drive from Bremer Beach.
Fitzgerald River National Park
Fitzgerald River National Park has a total area of 2,972 km² spanning from Bremer Bay on the west to Hopetoun on the east. Being close to Fitzgerald River National Park, Bremer Bay is often used as the gateway to Fitzgerald River National Park. However, that is if you have a 4WD vehicle.
So just how big is Fitzgerald River National Park? The park is 4 times the size of Singapore or 5.4 times the size of Phuket Island!
Fitzgerald River National Park is the place to explore its rich flora and fauna, as well as its raw rugged landscape. At the same time, visitors can enjoy swimming, snorkelling, kayaking, surfing, and fishing in the waters of its beautiful bays and inlets.
Although a large part of Fitzgerald River National Park is accessible by a 4WD vehicle, visitors can access the eastern side of the national park with 2WD vehicles from Hopetoun via Hamersley Drive which is a sealed road from Hopetoun to reach Hamersley Inlet. There are picnic areas, viewing platforms, and walk trails at 4 Mile Beach, Barrens Beach, Barrens Lookout, Mylies Beach, Cave Point Lookout, West Beach, and East Hamersley Inlet.
Have you seen caterpillars moving in tandem in a single file like ants? Click to see a video of caterpillars moving in tandem in a single file, in Fitzgerald River National Park.
4 Mile Beach and Barrens Beach
4 Mile Beach is a long 3-hour drive from Bremer Bay via Hopetoun. Just before entering Hopetoun town centre, you take a right tune into Hamersley Drive and 4 Mile Beach is the first beach past Culham Inlet. Barrens Beach is right next to 4 Mile Beach.
Located close to 4 Mile Campground, 4 Mile Beach and Barrens Beach are beautiful beaches with soft white sand and crystal-clear water overlooking the Southern Ocean. They are the perfect spot for a beach picnic and beach outing.
Barrens Lookout
Continue on Hamersley Drive in the western direction, Barrens Lookout is just a 5-minute drive away from Barrens Beach car park. The lookout offers spectacular views of Culham Inlet opening to the Southern Ocean through 4 Mile Beach, as well as Barrens Beach.
Mylies Beach
Mylies Beach is a 10-minute drive from Barrens Lookout and is just a short walk from Mylies Beach car park. This is another beautiful beach with soft white sand and crystal-clear water.
Cave Point Lookout and West Beach
Cave Point Lookout is a lookout that must not be missed. At first, you would wonder why it is called Cave Point. The cave is right below the lookout. The lookout is on a cliff and is a great spot to enjoy the spectacular Southern Ocean and its cool breeze.
Cave Point is a 5-minute drive from Mylies Beach. West Beach is a short walk from Cave Point Lookout.
Click to watch the drone video footage showing the cave that is right below the Cave Point Lookout.
Hopetoun
It is a short 20-minute drive back to Hopetoun from Cave Point.
Hopetoun has a population of just over 1000. Hopetoun is a major site of accommodation for those working at the Ravensthorpe Nickel Mine, located about a 45-minute drive northeast of Hopetoun. The nickel mine and processing plant were closed for some time and recommenced production in January 2020.
Hopetoun is also a peaceful beach resort destination with a string of pristine white beaches perfect for water-based activities – boating, surfing, swimming, and fishing.
To the west of Hopetoun, visitors can access 4 Mile Beach, Barrens Beach, Barrens Lookout, Mylies Beach, Cave Point Lookout, West Beach, and East Hamersley Inlet on the east side of Fitzgerald River National Park via Hamersley Drive.
To the east of Hopetoun, visitors can follow Southern Ocean Road to access breathtaking coastal lookouts and beaches such as 2 Mile, 5 Mile, 12 Mile, Mason Bay Beaches, and Starvation Bay Boat Harbour.
2 Mile, 5 Mile, and 12 Mile Beaches are relatively quiet but pleasant beaches within a 15-minute drive east of Hopetoun town centre on Southern Ocean Road. 12 Mile Beach is bordered by a natural reef so visitors can swim, snorkel and experience the local marine life in crystal clear water while protected by huge waves.
Mason Bay and Starvation Bay, both have a campground, are located further away east of Hopetoun at 41km and 48km respectively.
Ravensthorpe
Ravensthorpe has a population of just over 2000 and is the main town of the Shire of Ravensthorpe.
Being just a 30-minute drive west of the Ravensthorpe Nickel Mine site, Ravensthorpe, as well as Hopetoun, which is a 45-minute drive away, are both major sites of accommodation for those over 600 workers and their families.
Other than the mine, Ravensthorpe is a small wheat and sheep farming town. Australia’s largest grain co-operative the CBH Group has wheat storage facilities in Ravensthorpe.
The 3 operating silos in Ravensthorpe town are one of the sites of the Western Australia Silo Art Trail.
Ravensthorpe is 50km north of Hopetoun on Hopetoun-Ravensthorpe Road.
Ravensthorpe Silo Art
Ravensthorpe silo art was the work of silos Dutch-born artist, Amok Island depicting 6 stages of the flowering cycle of Banksia Baxteri (Bird’s Nest Banksia), the species of Banksia that is found only between Albany and Esperance, from budding to full bloom to drying out, all around the 3 silos.
Amok Island took 31 days using 338 litres of paint to complete the mural in September 2016. The silo art is visible from kilometres away and is a popular tourist attraction in Ravensthorpe.
Click to read more about Western Australia Silo Art Trail.
Esperance
With a population of around 14000, Esperance is located in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia, a 7-hour drive from Perth or a 2.5-hour drive from Ravensthorpe.
Esperance has the only port in the southeast of Western Australia handling the export of mainly grain and iron ore. Esperance’s other major industries are tourism and agriculture.
Esperance’s pristine Southern Ocean coastline, beautiful beaches, whale spotting opportunities, walking trails, wildflowers, and National Parks are drawing many tourists to the town during different seasons of the year.
Castletown Foreshore Beach (Quays Beach)
Located right on the Esperance foreshore east of Tanker Jetty, Castletown Foreshore Beach or Quays Beach, sheltered within Esperance Bay, is surprisingly picturesque with views of Esperance Port. The water is clean with snow-white sand beach, characteristics of beaches around Esperance. It is no wonder dog owners like to walk their dogs on the beach here.
At the time of the visit, Esperance foreshore between Tanker Jetty and Taylor Street was being developed and built and has since been completed and open to the public. Visitors can now enjoy the newly developed Esperance foreshore.
Click to read about the recently completed Esperance foreshore linking Esperance town centre to its beautiful foreshore.
Great Ocean Drive
You may have heard about the 240-km Great Ocean Road in Victoria. Esperance’s 40-km breathtaking Great Ocean Drive circular loop is Western Australia’s version that starts in Esperance town, runs along the stunning Esperance coastline, and then returns to Esperance town via Pink Leak.
The tourist loop to be explored by car allows visitors to enjoy breathtaking ocean views and visit clear-blue water and white sand beaches, rocky headlands, stiff cliffs, ocean lagoons, a wind farm, and an inland lake.
On the tourist loop, visitors get to see, off the coast, some of the 105 islands of Recherche Archipelago, also known as the Bay of Isles, as well as Australia’s most stunning unspoiled beaches such as West Beach, Blue Haven, Salmon Beach, Twilight Beach, Ten Mile Beach, and Eleven Mile Beach each of which are within a 30-minute drive from Esperance town centre.
Dempster Head Rotary Lookout
This lookout is the perfect starting point of the 40-km Great Ocean Drive tourist circular loop. Rotary Lookout is in a granite headland reserve and provides 360-degree panoramic views of surrounding lands and seas including Esperance town and West Beach, which is just 1.5km west of the lookout. From the lookout, take a short walk following the walking trail on the granite headland and visitors can reach the stunningly beautiful Lovers Beach.
Lovers Beach
Lovers Beach is located at the base of Wireless Hill, bordered by steep granite slopes and backed by a steep vegetated valley. This small 150 m long beach is somewhat shielded and has relatively calm water with moderate waves. From the granite headland, the deep-blue water and sparklingly white sand beach look spectacular and extremely inviting.
West Beach
West Beach, just a 3-minute drive from Dempster Head Rotary Lookout, is located right next to the suburb of West Beach and is 3 km from Esperance town centre. This beautiful surf beach has swimming lagoons formed between natural reefs and the shore and is locals’ favourite being so close to the town.
Chapmans Point
West Beach ends at Chapmans Point, which is a rocky headland lookout point with spectacular views of West Beach, the Southern Ocean, as well as Blue Haven Beach to the west of Chapmans Point.
Blue Haven Beach
Blue Haven Beach is the next beach near Chapmans Point, after West Beach. This is one of the most ideal beaches for swimming. The curved white sandy beach is sheltered by big rocks and is just a 10-minute drive from Esperance town centre.
Blue Haven Beach is peaceful and calm and is also a popular spot for stand-up paddle boarding and kayaking or canoeing.
Salmon Beach
Salmon Beach is a small beach well shielded within 2 rocky headlands making it another beautiful beach with calm water suitable for swimming.
Fourth Beach
Fourth Beach is the next beach after Salmon Beach which is about 2.5 km long extending to the west adjoining Twilight Beach. This long beach is another beautiful beach that is very popular for surfing, body boarding, paddle boarding, and kite surfing.
Twilight Beach
Adjoining Fourth Beach, Twilight Beach is very different from Fourth Beach. Twilight Beach is sheltered by big rocks jutting out close to the beach and a rocky headland making its clear and calm water a favourite for families.
The spectacular rock formations also make Twilight Beach extra popular. Visitors are often seen enjoying climbing up these rocks and jumping into the water from these rocks.
The beach is patrolled by surf life savers during weekends.
Click to watch a video about a shark warning alarm in action at Twilight Beach.
Observatory Point
Observatory Point is a lookout point at a 5-minute drive from Twilight Beach. This lookout is the southernmost point of the Great Ocean Drive directly facing Observatory Island which is just off the coast.
Ten Mile Lagoon Wind Farm
Esperance is not connected to the electricity grid and gets electricity supply from a 30 Megawatts capacity gas turbine power station as well as Ten Mile Lagoon Wind Farm and Nine Mile Beach Wind Farm. Together, the 2 wind farms have a capacity of 5.6 Megawatts.
Visitors can get close to a Ten Mile Lagoon Wind Farm wind turbine by taking Wind Farm Road at Ten Mile Lagoon to a car parking area and then take a short walk on a walking trail to the wind turbine to see, hear, and feel the operations of a wind turbine. Ten Mile Lagoon Wind Farm is a 5-minute drive from Observatory Point.
Esperance has another new wind, solar, and battery energy storage integrated renewable power station that is being built and is expected to be completed in late 2022.
Ten Mile Lagoon
Ten Mile Lagoon is formed by a natural reef acting as a natural breakwater making the lagoon area a perfect beach for swimming for young families, as well as for other water sports.
Eleven Mile Beach
Adjoining Ten Mile Lagoon is Eleven Mile Beach, which is also shielded by a natural reef.
Eleven Mile Beach is the last beach on the 40-km Great Ocean Drive circular loop before visitors head north inland back to Esperance town centre via Pink Lake.
Pink Lake
Pink Lake Lookout is a 10-minute drive from Eleven Mile Beach. Pink Lake used to be pink in colour but the lake has lost its “pink” for a while. This has led to the disappointment of some visitors who suggested a name change.
So why has Pink Lake lost its “pink”? It was believed that the salt concentration in the lake has reduced to the extent that the salt-tolerant algae in the water cannot grow to give the lake the pink colour. External changes and weather conditions may have caused the salt concentration to reduce.
Will the pink colour return again? No one knows.
Click to read more about Esperance’s 40-km Great Ocean Drive circular loop.
Lake Warden Kepwari Wetland
Lake Warden Kepwari Wetland is a 10-minute drive from Esperance town centre. For nature lovers, Lake Warden Kepwari Wetland walking trail is a good way to be close to nature, bird-watch, and check out the wildflowers during wildflower season.
The last part of the 5 parts Western Australia South West Edge Road Trip blogs will be published by 19 Oct 2022.
Click to read Western Australia South West Edge Road Trip Part 1 – Perth to Gracetown.
Click to read Western Australia South West Edge Road Trip Part 5 – Cape Le Grand National Park and Wave Rock
Check out “Travel and Destinations Blogs” for more travel blogs on a wide range of destinations from popular, exotic, unique to obscure.
Esperance’s 40-km breathtaking Great Ocean Drive loop which starts and ends in Esperance town centre and reaches Australia’s most stunning beaches such as West Beach, Blue Haven, and Twilight Beach, all of which are within a 30-minute drive from Esperance town centre.